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Steve's Journal

Category: Oceania

Australia 2017

Posted on October 2, 2017January 13, 2018 by steve

The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney is overnight, and takes about nine hours. Dani had a rough night in coach, with three infants nearby, but Linda and I were able to get some sleep in business (thank you frequent flyer miles) and arrived fairly refreshed. We checked our bags at the Quay West Suites…

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Coogee

Posted on September 13, 2011September 14, 2011 by steve

Although it was an early morning, our plane flight from Aukland to Sydney was otherwise painless, and, taking advantage of the two hour time shift, we were in Coogee by 11am. this is the town where Pamela grew up, so I had a strong impression of it from reading her book, but of course it…

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Rainy Days in Auckland

Posted on September 11, 2011September 12, 2011 by steve

The rain caught up to us today, but that was okay, as it gave us an excuse to relax. At noon we walked down Queen Street and found a ma and pa Korean restaurant for a tasty lunch. After lunch we visited the used CD store again, where we challenged each other to find the…

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Back to Auckland

Posted on September 10, 2011 by steve

On the final day of our Tauck Tour we headed back to Auckland. We’ve had almost perfect weather on the trip, particularly considering that winter is just ending in New Zealand. It seemed that we’ve been ahead of rain almost everywhere, so it was appropriate that it began to rain in Queenstown as we headed…

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TSS Earnslaw & Walter Peak Sheep Station

Posted on September 9, 2011September 12, 2011 by steve

Today we got to sleep in, because our excursion to the sheep farm didn’t start until almost noon, when we walked across the street to the dock and boarded the TSS (Twin Screw Steamship) Earnslaw, for the 45 minute trip to Walter Peak. The Earnslaw is a month away from its centennial celebration, but is…

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Queenstown

Posted on September 8, 2011September 10, 2011 by steve

We arrived at the Queenstown airport (actually in Frankton) about 6pm, and as predicted no one was there except security and the janitor. Since our luggage had magically preceded us, we were in Queenstown within minutes. The Crowne Plaza Queenstown has a great location on the harbor, and our room offers a dramatic view. Full…

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Milford Sound

Posted on September 7, 2011September 9, 2011 by steve

In the morning we caught our same private jet for the flight from Wellington at the tip of the North Island to Manapouri Airport, about two thirds of the way down the South Island. Flight time was less than 90 minutes, and along the way we had a spectacular view of the Southern Alps that…

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Martin Bosley’s

Posted on September 6, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

While Dani had dinner with her friend Laura, I went across the street from our hotel and had a solo dinner at Martin Bosley’s, which has been voted New Zealand’s best restaurant. The emphasis here is on fish, which is appropriate, given their singular location on the harbor. My meal was as good as any…

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Wellington

Posted on September 6, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

Wellington certainly deserves its nickname as the windy capital. As the world’s southernmost capital city, it was surprisingly warm today–mid fifties–but a constant breeze made a good jacket a requirement. The day dawned with scattered drizzles, a contrast to last night’s ultra-clear weather, but by mid morning it began to clear off. We spent our…

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Marlborough Sound

Posted on September 5, 2011September 8, 2011 by steve

At the Rotorua airport we caught our private charter jet for the 45 minute flight to the South Island. This is the way to travel! The 100-seat British Aerospace BAe 146-200 was pretty spacious with only 17 of us! The four person flight crew (pilot, co-pilot, steward and stewardess) will be with us throughout the…

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Rotorua

Posted on September 4, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

We departed from Auckland this morning for our drive across half of the northern island that comprises New Zealand. After a rest stop for some honeycomb and vanilla ice cream (who says 9:30 is too early for ice cream?) we stopped in Matamata for a photo op at the sign declaring it Hobbiton. This is…

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Waiheke Island

Posted on September 3, 2011September 8, 2011 by steve

For our first day on the Tauck tour we met our group at the bus at 8:15 and headed to the ferry dock for the 40 minute trip to Waiheke Island. The island is a beautifully unspoiled place, with 8500 residents who live on the lush hills overlooking more than 50 coves, each with its…

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Auckland

Posted on September 2, 2011 by steve

Today I had breakfast while Dani slept in, enjoying her last completely unscheduled day before we join our tour. We walked a mile or so down Queen street to the Quay, stopping on the way to buy ten used CDs in a funky music and clothing store, while we waited out a morning shower. After…

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Sydney to Auckland

Posted on September 1, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

After breakfast at the Four Seasons, where Dani got one last Crumpet, a new favorite, we headed to the airport and out flight to Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand is really into rugby, and the rugby World Cup is going to be on in Auckland while we’re in New Zealand, so I expect things to…

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Tetsuya

Posted on August 31, 2011September 1, 2011 by steve

Our concierge suggested we add Testsuya’s to our list of dining adventures in Sydney, and Pamela’s relatives all said we’d like it best. They were right. This is the restaurant that should have three Michelin stars. It’s located in a Japanese-styled house near Chinatown. The dining rooms look out onto a Zen garden, providing a…

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Jenolan Caves

Posted on August 30, 2011 by steve

Our driver, Trevor, picked us up early for the 100 mile drive to Jenolan Caves. The caves are in the Blue Mountains, southwest of Sydney. Along the way we stopped near Leura, where Pamela used to live, to see the view. Trevor took us to the end of a dirt road and we walked out…

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Sydney Zoo

Posted on August 29, 2011August 30, 2011 by steve

We spent a delightful day at the Sydney Zoo, courtesy of Pamela. It’s just a short ferry ride across Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay. It’s a great zoo, and the animals were very cooperative, standing where we could see them! The weather was perfect for strolling the steep grounds, low 70s and a light breeze….

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Quay

Posted on August 28, 2011August 28, 2011 by steve

Quay (pronounced “key”) is a three-star Michelin restaurant that has been voted best restaurant in Australia and Asia. It’s on the third floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, and has a spectacular view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Dani and I stopped by on our  afternoon walk to check…

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Australia Museum

Posted on August 28, 2011August 30, 2011 by steve

We spent a pleasant day at the Australia Museum, which has upgraded their video projection since our last visit ten years ago. Their insect and mineral collections are really extensive, although it’s the dinosaurs that draw the kids. Dani points out that ten years of waiting to go for a walk have really taken a…

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Rockpool Bar & Grill

Posted on August 27, 2011August 27, 2011 by steve

Portions of this entry were originally written by Dani for her blog. Rockpool Bar & Grill is a short walk from the Four Seasons Hotel. It’s a beautiful room, which looks like it may have been a bank in another life. There are wine glasses everywhere! The menu is extensive, with an emphasis on wood…

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Breakfast Point

Posted on August 27, 2011August 27, 2011 by steve

A more extensive version of this entry was written by Dani for her blog. After breakfast we went to Circular Quay, and the same wharf where we met Pamela to catch a ferry to her neighborhood. The water taxi service is incredibly reasonable. An adult one-way ferry ticket is only $5.60. The ferries run on…

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Hunter Valley Wineries

Posted on August 26, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

This post was shamelessly cribbed from Dani’s blog. Today we went to the Hunter Vally wine country. This was exciting for Dani because it was her first time on a wine tour someplace where she’s over the legal drinking age. At 8:30 we met both Pamela and our guide/driver for the day, Trevor. Trevor loaded…

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Becasse

Posted on August 25, 2011August 26, 2011 by steve

This post was cribbed from Dani’s Blog We met Pamela in the lobby at 5:30 and headed over to Bécasse for dinner. The restaurant recently relocated from a 90 seat location to a 24 seat spot in an upscale mall. After passing through a wrought iron door threaded with ivy and then walking down an…

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Circular Quay

Posted on August 25, 2011 by steve

Circular Quay (prounounced “kee”) is the waterfront area next to the Sydney Opera House. It’s just a block from our hotel, and we met our friend Pamela there, where she arrived from her house by one of the River Cat ferries. After she checked in we went for a long walk past the Opera House,…

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Kable’s

Posted on August 24, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

Kable’s is the fine dining restaurant at the our hotel, the Four Seasons Sydney. Although the hotel has a spectacular view of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour, Kable’s, surprisingly, doesn’t, as it is located on the mezzanine of the lobby. (I’ve included some views from our room instead.) After our long night and a…

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A Room with a View

Posted on August 24, 2011 by steve

Once the sun turned the corner of the building we opened our blind and found a lovely view of the Sydney Opera House from our room on the 28th floor of the Four Seasons. Refreshed by our showers, we went out and walked the city, ending up at the Sydney Aquarium, which we remembered enjoying…

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The 22 Hour Night

Posted on August 23, 2011September 17, 2011 by steve

It takes 22 hours to fly from Orlando to Sydney, Australia. That may sound like a long time, but Dani and I discovered that if you have the right seat, it actually isn’t too bad. The sun set as we took off, and was just rising as we landed in Sydney, twenty-two hours–and two days–later….

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Australia 2001

Posted on July 4, 2001May 27, 2016 by steve

I’ve always wanted to visit Australia, both to see a new  continent, and to better understand the market for audio, video, lighting and show control products, there. So when I heard that our Australian distributor, EAV Technology, would be exhibiting at the SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Convention in July, and that…

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